Settlement in South Sudan to temporarily relieve Salva Kiir.

New Arab Khartoum 8 August 2017,

August 11, 2017(Nyamilepedia) —– South Sudan is heading for a peace settlement by forming a transitional government preparing for early elections next year. This resolution came after persuading South Sudan’s incumbent, President Silva Kiir Mayardit, to voluntarily relinquish power temporarily.

According to sources from the south Sudanese government and another in Ethiopia, close to the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development of East Africa “IGAD”, who spoke to the “New Arab”, the sources said that Salva Kiir Mayardit succumbed to international and regional pressure to voluntarily relinquish power in Juba to a consensual transitional government expected to be led by Rebecca Nyandeng de Marbior (known as Mama Rebecca), the widow of the late leader of the SPLM, John Garang, becoming the second female president of a country on the African continent.

The sources revealed to the “new Arab” that the smooth transition of power in south Sudan was engineered by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni after he succeeded in persuading President Salva Kiir Mayardit to step down temporarily, and to re-run in early elections next year. The new government’s tasks will be limited to creating a climate for the 2018 elections, bringing peace and managing comprehensive reconciliation.

Museveni had launched months of shuttle activities to save the situation in south Sudan from the risk of total collapse and pushed for an initiative to unify the SPLM as a ruling party and to reconcile with its conflicting poles, including the armed Popular Movement led by Riek Machar. His initiative met reservations from Machar and the group of 10 detainees (a peaceful opposition headed by Pagan Amum). The latter refused to sign a new agreement for the reunification of the SPLM, despite his participation in the negotiation process in Kampala. He described the move as fraud, arguing that any agreement without Machar means continued war.

The three parties of the movement represented in the government and the armed opposition led by Machar and the group of 10 detainees have already signed the Arusha Agreement for the reunification of the movement with executive steps, including a cessation of hostilities and an official apology to the South Sudanese people for waging the civil war.

The sources confirmed to the New Arab that though nomination of Rebecca Garang to succeed Salva Kiir has found regional and international support despite the reservations about her old history and the association of her name with corruption cases since the lifetime of her husband, John Garang, during the civil war in Sudan and before the secession of south Sudan and creation of its independent state in 2011. Those accusations continued to haunt her during her tenure when she was a minister in the national government.

The sources said that the candidacy of Rebecca Garang for succeeding Salva Kiir was temporary, the sources said that the selection of Rebecca Garang came as a consensual and national symbolism, and as the widow of the South Sudanese leader John Garang, as well as the respect found by a large segment of South Sudanese who call her “Mama Rebecca.” The sources confirmed that Museveni’s steps started by announcing reconciliation between Salva Kiir and Rebecca, who was accused along with the group of “ten detainees” of being master minds of the coup attempt and were arrested. This was followed by the unification of the movement and then the transitional status and the acceleration of early elections to enable Salva Kiir to contest again such that he could establish his legitimacy and offset the specter of international sanctions. The sources stressed that the steps of Museveni stems from international and regional support, but pointed out that Khartoum is not enthusiastic about the presidency of Rebecca Garang as an extension of what is known as “children of Garang” which Khartoum has historical hostility towards them.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/politics/2017/8/7/